


I am Currently Enrolled in High School

by UberDuper



Series: Danganronpa V3 Intermission: A Step Backwards [1]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Pre-Canon, Pre-Game Personalities (New Dangan Ronpa V3), Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 20:49:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14269251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UberDuper/pseuds/UberDuper
Summary: ", and I give consent to Team Danganronpa to use me for entertainment purposes with no legal ramifications."Or: Maki Harukawa is secretly dating Himiko Yumeno. Life decides it doesn't like that, and decides to intervene. But Maki isn't going down without a fight.





	I am Currently Enrolled in High School

**Author's Note:**

> this is longer than i expected, and also the ending isnt that great LOL. anyway, please enjoy my preDanganronpa Harumeno!

“Have you seen this show before?” Himiko asked Maki one day while they were stuck in Maki’s pathetic excuse for a basement, rain thundering against the house. Maki was sitting on a dusty couch, reading a book she’d read a few times before, while Himiko laid with her, her head in Maki’s lap. Himiko was watching various things on her phone, and would chatter to Maki about them every once in a while. “I got into it the other day, and it’s super duper interesting. It’s like a real life crime drama.” The two of them had no intention of leaving the basement any time soon, despite the fact that every once in a while they’d-

 _Plip._ A drop of water fell onto Maki’s head. Before she addressed Himiko, she glanced up. Another drop of water fell directly into her eye. Maki swore and dropped her book, rubbing at her face while Himiko giggled in amusement. Another leak. Maki sighed, handing her book to Himiko before getting up to retrieve another bowl or bucket. She weaved around the multitude of buckets and other receptacles already placed on the floor, heading to her closet where she stored things just for occasions like this.

Maki returned to the couch a moment later with a grimy vase in hand, head pointed up to scour the ceiling for the leak. She glanced down and looked over Himiko for a moment before raising her foot and kicking the couch a few times. Himiko let out a surprised ‘woah!’ as the couch slid back, letting the water from the new leak drip onto the concrete floor. Maki plonked the vase under the leak and watched it for a few seconds, making sure that it was actually falling into the vase before returning to the couch and plopping herself down.

“You could warn me!” Himiko said playfully, scrambling back into Maki’s lap and pinching her cheek. Maki shot her a glare and snatched her book back.

“What show?” She snapped. Himiko looked confused for a second before her eyes lit up.

“You really haven’t heard of Danganronpa?!” She asked incredulously, dropping her phone in mock surprise and straddling Maki for emphasis. Maki stared at her, face flat. “It’s so popular, there’s been like, fifty something seasons!”

“I don’t watch TV.” Maki said.

“Yeah, but you can watch it on your pho...” Himiko started, then trailed off. She and Maki glanced to the side, Maki’s shitty flip phone sitting on a coffee table that was also host to two buckets and Maki’s backpack, which was lined in plastic wrap so the water dripping into it wouldn’t ruin it. “...right. Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Maki stated simply.

“If you want to watch, you have to let me know!” Himiko said excitedly, picking up her phone. “I think you’d like it, it has so much intrigue and cute relationships and deeeeep character backstories...”

“What makes you think I’d like any of that?” Maki asked.

“Well...” Himiko glanced upwards in thought. “Well, I know you like intrigue because you read books, and they’re intriguing… and you like cute relationships because we-” Maki cut her off by placing a finger to Himiko’s lips and glancing towards the staircase. Himiko followed her gaze and deflated. “...right.” She said with a sigh. “Right.”

Maki removed her finger and grabbed Himiko by the shoulders, lightly moving her off of her lap. Himiko let out another melancholy sigh before laying back down, picking her phone up and staring at the screen while Maki retrieved her book. Things were quiet, aside from the sound of water dripping into an almost full container. Maki had made it halfway through her current chapter when she glanced down.

Himiko looked upset, and evidently wasn’t paying as much attention to her ‘Danganronpa’ as she had been before. Maki frowned and closed her book, placing it to the side. She leaned back into the couch, letting the starchy cushions support her, and placed a hand onto Himiko’s shoulder. Maki also listened. There were the sounds of rain, the occasional tap of Himiko’s nails on her phone screen, and the creaking of the house’s supports. She, however, was listening for a specific sound, one she knew would be coming soon. The familiar _thump, thump, thump_ of…

_Thump, thump, thump._

Himiko practically shot off of Maki’s lap, scrambling over to the opposite side of the couch. Maki picked her book back up and put some more distance between her and Himiko just as her mother reached the bottom of the staircase.

“I’m going to work.” Her mother stated simply, impassively glancing around at all the leaks in the basement. “Make sure these leaks don’t get your bed wet, because I’m not washing your sheets _again_.”

“Whatever.” Maki said back, not looking up. She could practically hear the roll of her mother’s eyes as she once again ascended the staircase. The air was tense as the _thump, thump, thump_ ing continued around from upstairs for a few moments. Then, there was the slam of a door shutting, the pained groan of the garage door, and then the sound of the shitty car her mother owned starting up. And then the garage door groaned again, letting out a barely perceptible ‘clang’ when it hit the floor.

And then Himiko was sitting in Maki’s lap again. Maki rolled her eyes as Himiko grabbed at her cheeks and placed a delicate kiss on the tip of Maki’s nose before flopping down and putting her head on the couch’s armrest. Maki let her hands settle on Himiko’s stomach, drumming her fingers there.

“...I hate how small your house is.” Himiko remarked. “You can hear everything that happens in here, no matter where you are.”

“Me too.” Maki said back.

“You need to come over to my house more often.” Himiko looked up at Maki. “We could have more privacy and my parents...” She frowned, “We don’t need to worry about my parents.”

“We’ll still need to worry about my mom.” Maki stated simply, face flat. “That bitch is always keeping tabs on me.” She snorted and looked away. ‘A little overprotective’, her ass. More like ‘on a little power trip’.

“Don’t say that.” Himiko said, reaching up to touch Maki’s cheek. “You know I don’t like words like those!”

“Sorry.” Maki replied, glancing down at Himiko. Himiko didn’t like her swearing, but that didn’t change the truth.

“What are you gonna do to make it up to me?” Himiko asked playfully, squishing Maki’s cheek.

“...” Maki glanced at the hand indenting her face and raised her brow. “...Tell me about Danganronpa.”

“!!!” Himiko made a surprised sound and sat up suddenly, nearly conking her head into Maki’s chin. Her eyes sparkled. “I thought you’d never ask!”

* * *

 

“...What’s wrong?” Maki asked.

“Nothing...” Himiko sighed. The two of them had gotten out of school, having begun their daily walk back to Himiko’s house about ten minutes ago. Maki knew Himiko liked longer walks, it allowed them to spend more time together, but she didn’t really seem to be into this one.

“I can tell something’s wrong.” Maki insisted, then glanced away. “...you can tell me things. I care about you.”

“Aww, Maki Maki~” Himiko cooed, reaching out for Maki’s hand. Maki started to reach back, but stopped, as did Himiko. The two looked around, trying to see if anybody was around. The area was empty, just the sidewalk they were on, flanked by the sun baked street on one side and a plot of browning grass on the other. The only evidence that they had of the torrential rains from the weekend was the fact that Maki’s backpack was still damp. Their search wasn’t exactly thorough, but they still made sure nobody was around. They could never be too sure.

Himiko grabbed Maki’s hand and sighed again, this one a little more played up. “Sorry, I’m just...” She looked up at Maki, eyes pleading. “Are you sure you can’t come over today?”

“Yeah,” Maki frowned. “My mom wants me home.”

“But...”

“I’m sorry.” Maki said, squeezing Himiko’s hand. “I’d do it if she wasn’t going to be home all day.”

“Oh...” Himiko sighed.

“...why?” Maki asked.

“I just...” Himiko leaned against Maki. “I’m really lonely.”

“Home alone again last night?” Maki glanced to the side. Himiko didn’t answer, but that was an answer enough. She couldn’t think of anything to say to comfort Himiko, which made her feel guilty. Some kind of girlfriend she was. Still, that was almost a week now, that Himiko was home alone for the night. At least, that was the minimum. Maybe Himiko wasn’t telling her something.

A silence settled over them, and Maki focused on the feeling of Himiko’s hand in her own. It was a pleasant warmth, one better than the oppressive heat of the sun beating down on them. Maki closed her eyes. If she had the option to stay like this, in a moment like this, forever… she might just take it.

The rumble of a car caught her attention, and Maki quickly released Himiko’s hand. She opened her eyes and glanced at the road in time to see a familiar car roll up. Oh, it was these fuckers again. Himiko glanced over as well, staring impassively at the group of three.

“What’s up, losers?!” The driver, Hidetaka, yelled.

“Hey, hey. You takin’ your _girlfriend_ on a date?!” The passenger cackled.

“Aw, c’mon, Daichi!” The third person yelled, leaning up to be seen through the driver’s side window. Mai. “Even these two aren’t _that_ bad! They might be unpopular grease stains, but they’re not _dykes_.”

“You’re giving them too much credit!” Daichi snorted. “Why do they spend so much time together if they don’t loooooove each other?!”

At that, Maki’s jaw clenched, her eye twitching. Of course it was them. It always seemed to be them. Her hands involuntarily balled up, tightening into fists. One day… Maki always promised herself that one day, she was going show these stupid shits just who they were messing with. And ruining a perfectly good walk made today an excellent contender.

Something soft brushed up against Maki’s hand. Her eyes flicked downward briefly, seeing Himiko’s hand moving back to her side. Maki’s posture loosened involuntarily, and instead her lips pressed together. Not today then. But one day.

“Damn, you guys are no fun!” Hidetaka hollered, flipping Maki the bird before stepping on the gas and speeding away. Before long, the air was still again, and Maki let out an aggravated growl. Himiko grabbed her hand, and Maki squeezed back, mad enough that she didn’t care if anybody saw it. She didn’t care if anybody wanted to call her something shitty because she liked girls, she didn’t care if anybody wanted to _try_ anything, because at that moment, Maki was ready to snap. Her emotions were pulled taut, and her body thrummed with anger.

Himiko squeezed her hand. “Maki.” All she said was her name, and yet Maki instantly deflated. Sometimes… she wanted to be anywhere but here. This was one of those times. She just wanted to take Himiko and be somewhere else.

“Do you want to come to my place for a bit?” Maki murmured, keeping her eyes focused on the sidewalk.

“Only if it won’t get you in trouble.” Himiko replied. Maki just nodded, though she would have responded like that even if it would.

* * *

 

“Will you make the right choice? Or the dreaaaaadfully wrong one?” The cheery, overly enthusiastic voice coming from Himiko’s phone asked. There was an anguished sob, and Maki frowned at it.

Maki’s mom had finally gone in for overnight work, which meant that Maki could go to Himiko’s house without fear of punishment for her lack of presence at home. The two were laid out on Himiko’s bed, Himiko wrapped in Maki’s arms, and Maki was finally experiencing ‘Danganronpa’ for the first time. On the bedside table, there were a few empty water bottles, a can of soda, and an empty candy wrapper.

“...” Maki pushed her head further into the plush pillow, letting herself sink into the bed’s cushiony embrace. “I don’t get it.” She said, drumming her finger’s on Himiko’s stomach.

“What do you mean?” Himiko asked without looking up. One hand held her phone, while the other had a strand of Maki’s hair wound around it, which Himiko absentmindedly played with by running it between her fingers. “They explained the murder pretty well, if you ask me. He just took the statue and made it fall at the right trajectory to land on her. With his knowledge, he could have done it. He’s the Ultimate Mathematician.”

“No, not that.” Maki said. “I thought these were real people.”

“...they are.” Himiko glanced up at Maki. “That’s the appeal, it makes the reactions way more realistic.”

“And I thought Danganronpa promised there weren’t any… special effects or anything for the murders.”

“Yeah.” Himiko looked confused. “It’s in the disclaimer.”

“...so what?” Maki looked away from the phone, choosing to look at Himiko instead. “Are these kids actually dying?”

“I...” Himiko trailed off, then frowned. “I never thought about it like that.” The two of them looked back onto the screen.

The Ultimate Mathematician was standing at his podium, not looking at anyone. Somebody rushed up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Why?” The figure asked, his floppy green hair falling into his eyes. “Why would you do this? It… I thought...”

“I’m sorry, Rantaro.” The Mathematician said, shaking his head. “Rantaro… I… God, I’m so sorry. I just… had to try. I’m so stupid, but I couldn’t… I couldn’t risk staying locked in here while-”

Suddenly, the phone was off, and Maki found herself staring at a black screen. Then, the phone went away, and there was a quiet ‘whumph’ as it hit the pastel pink covers. Himiko had rolled over, and moved her hands up to cup Maki’s cheeks. Maki looked down, expression flat.

“I don’t wanna watch that anymore.” Himiko stated simply.

“Good.” Maki replied, just as simply.

“I’d rather watch you.” Himiko said. Maki felt her cheeks heat up a bit, and Himiko definitely noticed, evidenced by the way she giggled and shimmied up closer to Maki. “Cutie.”

“Stop talking about yourself.” Maki replied, face flat. Himiko let out another giggle before snuggling up to Maki. This was what she lived for. The two laid in silence for a few minutes before Maki broke it without thinking. She was staring at the ceiling, and didn’t look down. There was a lot on her mind, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was: “It’s not right.”

“What isn’t?” Himiko asked.

“...” Maki tried to figure out what exactly she was talking about. Was it their life? The way they were bullied for something that made them happy? Was it Danganronpa? Was it everything? “I don’t know.” Maki finally settled on. She motioned limply with one of her hands. “Lots of things. Everything.”

“Don’t talk like that.” Himiko said, scooting upwards so that her head was on the pillow next to Maki. She smiled. “Not everything is bad. What about me?” Himiko teased.

“You’re right.” Maki replied, staring passively into Himiko’s eyes. “You’re not bad.”

“And neither are you.” Himiko said back, playfully bumping her forehead into Maki’s.

* * *

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Maki asked, standing on her front porch. The sun beat down on the shitty one story house, almost making it feel like they were on Mars or something, instead of on Earth.

“My parents are gonna be home for the weekend.” Himiko said, her eyes sparkling. “I want to spend some time with them!”

“Makes sense.” Maki replied. She wanted to grab Himiko’s hand, give her an encouraging squeeze or a tight hug to show that she was happy for her. But they were out in public, so instead she just stared.

“Aw, don’t be sad!” Himiko teased. “It’s just a couple days without me!” Maki snorted. Something forlorn crossed Himiko’s face. “I’m sorry you can’t come over. I really want you to, but...”

“It’s fine.” Maki stated. “I’ll survive.”

“Without me?” Himiko teased again, sticking out her tongue.

“Somehow.” Maki’s face was flat.

“You’re no fun!” Himiko playfully bumped Maki’s stomach, hitting nowhere near hard enough to hurt. And then her arms lowered, and a frown painted her face. “I know it’s just a couple days but… I’ll miss you.”

“Yeah.” Maki said. “Same here.” And then, something in her brain said ‘fuck it’. She stepped forward, stooping down a bit, and wrapped Himiko up in a tight hug. Her girlfriend let out a surprised ‘oh!’, but didn’t take long to reciprocate. They stayed like that for a second longer than they should have before Maki let go. “Go. Spend as much time with them as you can.”

“Oh, uh… okay!” Himiko looked off-guard. “I’ll see you on Monday!”

“Monday.” Maki repeated, then watched Himiko walk away. She really wanted to escort her to the bus stop, it was usually Maki walking home alone, but… well, Maki didn’t want to do anything else stupid. So instead, she adjusted her backpack and shoved her front door open. “I’m home!” She yelled, despite the fact that her mother was right there at the table.

“Took you long enough.” Her mom snapped, scribbling some stuff down onto a pad of paper. “Have I told you that you need more friends? You only hang out with that Himiko girl.”

“Whatever.” Maki scoffed, making her way to the basement. Time to hole herself up for a couple days.

“Wait, before you go isolate yourself like the hermit you are.” Her mother, without bothering to look, held out an envelope. “It’s for you. Also, clean out that nasty casserole from the fridge that you never ate. It’s moldy.”

Maki pressed her lips together before snatching up the envelope and stuffing it into her pocket. Who the hell was sending her mail? She shuffled over to the kitchen, throwing the fridge open and pulling out the tupperware that held the offending casserole. Maki wasn’t sure if there was actually anything in the tupperware until she realized that the plastic wasn’t supposed to be black. Gross. She shook her head and just tossed the entire thing into the trash.

Well that was stupid. Maki reached into the fridge, grabbing one of her mother’s beers from the back as well as a block of cheese that didn’t look bad. Then she retreated to the basement, slamming the door shut behind her. The letter crinkled in her pocket, reminding her of its presence. Maybe that was something to check out. Maki weaved around a few empty buckets (she really needed to put those away) before tossing the beer, the cheese, and that letter onto the couch. Her backpack got thrown onto the bed, and Maki made her way over to her desk.

The desk was definitely on its last legs. Literally, considering that one was missing and two of the others weren’t looking too hot. She pushed a few papers and books to the side, nearly toppling the desk in the process, and retrieved the plastic plate buried under some barely-passed math tests and writing worksheets. Maki shuffled a few more things around before finding her fork, her knife, and a half-eaten packet of crackers. She needed to get more.

Finally, Maki flopped down onto the couch. She dumped the crackers and cheese onto the plate, and then put those to the side in favor of cracking open the beer can. It hissed at her, almost like it didn’t approve of her underage drinking, but she took a sip anyway. Whatever. Time to check out what this stupid letter was.

The paper was crisp and white, and it had some sort of official seal on the back. Maki frowned at the seal. It looked… vaguely familiar? She then flipped over the envelope and realized why. ‘Team Danganronpa’, the sender was listed as. Maki nearly flung the letter away in disgust. Why the hell was she getting a letter from fucking Team Danganronpa? Morbid curiosity filled her, and she used the knife to slit the envelope open, pulling out the letter within.

‘ _Salutations, Prospective Danganronpa Star,’_ the letter began, _‘Have you ever wanted to be famous? Does the thought of entertaining the entire world sound interesting to you? Do you desire to participate in one of the biggest pieces of entertainment in history_ _known to humankind_ _? Then you’re in luck, because you’ve been selected by Team Danganronpa as a special potential candidate!’_

Just reading the letter made the hairs on the back of Maki’s neck stand up. What the hell kind of con artist bullshit was this? Anybody who knew the name would know, or at least be able to know, what Danganronpa did and what kind of bullshit it got itself into. So who the hell would willingly want to do something as perverse as this? She continued reading anyway.

‘ _If you’re hesitant, which Team Danganronpa definitely understands, then please don’t be! Team Danganronpa provides only the highest quality of entertainment in the industry, and nobody who participates has done so without their explicit consent. While working for Team Danganronpa, you will be cared for, provided with more than just the basic amenities, and excellent pay!’_

Now _that_ caught Maki’s attention. She’d never heard anything about pay.

‘ _That’s correct! If selected for participation in Danganronpa, then you and anybody you designate will receive monetary compensation for your time while in service of Team Danganronpa. In addition, winners of Danganronpa receive a cash prize of_ _¥_ _50,000,000!’_

Maki started, nearly spitting out the sip of beer she had just taken. Fifty _million_ yen?! Imagine what she could do with fifty million yen. Her eyes scanned the rest of the front of the page. It was just disclaimers and other legal bullshit. Her eyes gravitated back to the money. Fifty million. Fifty million yen. The number repeated itself in her head, spinning around like it was in a washing machine. She moved to put the letter down, needing to process the amount of money that was, when she noticed more words on the back of the page. She flipped it over.

‘ _Of final note: Team Danganronpa is not attempting in any way to coerce or force you into a decision. The choice to participate in Danganronpa is entirely voluntary. The act of agreeing to be a potential Danganronpa candidate is only answered in positive by filling out the provided form. In addition, the act of consenting to work for Danganronpa is only cemented by an official written agreement after an in person interview.’_

Form? Interview? There was more to this garbage than Maki realized. She kept reading.

‘ _In addition, whether or not you desire to participate, there is also the option to refer your friends! Is there somebody you know that you think would be a good fit for Danganronpa? Team Danganronpa can’t get to everybody! In the event you are aware of somebody who you think would be a good fit for Danganronpa, you have been provided with a referral code! Simply give the code to your friend, and they can go onto the Danganronpa website to send in an online application! Reminder that, unless otherwise stated, participates personally scouted by Danganronpa through physical mail are more likely participants than referrals._ _Addition reminder: as per scouted Danganronpa participants, online applicants must be attending high school in order to be eligible for Danganronpa._ _’_

That was it. Maki looked over the letter one more time. That was it. She… she was scouted by Team Danganronpa. Maki frowned, stuffing her hand into the envelope, and fished out another piece of paper. It was the application, which held a bunch of questions that seemed to be more ‘survey’-esque than anything else. There was a section for ‘preferred talent’ with a check box for ‘Don’t Care’. There was a section for interests, dislikes, and… backstory suggestions? What?

At the bottom, Maki saw something that made her stomach twist. Next to the line for a signature, there was a box that needed to be checked. _‘I am currently_ _enrolled in_ _high school and_ _give consent to_ _Team Danganronpa to use me for entertainment purposes with no legal ramifications.’_ What the hell? That box itself really cemented it into Maki’s mind that… that these people on Danganronpa were real kids, that had really _consented_ to be potentially murdered for entertainment. No, that was so fucked up. Maki stuffed the letter and application back into the envelope, then balled it up and chucked it across the room. It bounced off the wall and rolled along the floor, coming to a stop under her bed.

Maki couldn’t believe she had even considered that. Even for that amount of money… no, it was nowhere near worth risking getting fucking _murdered_ on TV. It was a lot of money. Maki looked around her dingy basement. This place fucking sucked. But if she won…

Maki thought of Himiko holding her hand and laying with her. She thought of the time she kissed Himiko for the first time, an accidental brush of the lips that led them to what they had now. She thought of Himiko laughing because of stupid things she said.

No, dying was nowhere near worth anything, not even fifty million yen, if it meant leaving Himiko behind.

* * *

 

“Maki Maki, you look so down,” Himiko sung at lunch. “Maki Maki, what’s with your frown?”

The two of them were eating in an empty classroom together, their other classmates having vacated the area to go have fun with each other somewhere else. That was just fine with Maki. Meant the two of them didn’t have to deal with some stupid bullshit from one person or another for a while. Maki had turned the desk in front of Himiko’s around so that they could face each other while they ate.

“I’m always frowning.” She stated simply.

“But this is an unhappy frown.” Himiko insisted, holding out a small bite of fish on her chopsticks. Maki stared at it, her eyes flicking back up to Himiko, who offered her an encouraging smile. Maki glanced at the door. The only thing she could see was the sun reflecting off of the little glass window the door had. She rolled her eyes and quickly plucked the fish from Himiko’s chopsticks with her mouth. Himiko giggled at that, pulling her utensils back and smiling. “You can tell me what’s wrong, you know.”

“...” Maki looked away. It had been a couple weeks since she’d received the Danganronpa application letter, and the damn thing was still weighing heavily on her mind. The crumpled up ball of paper sat under her bed, and she avoided it like it was a bomb that would detonate if she so much as touched it. She wouldn’t even be considering it if the cash reward for winning wasn't so absurdly large. Still… Maki lied, though it was close enough to the truth, kind of. “Is that stupid season of Danganronpa over yet?”

“...Nng.” Himiko made a borderline distressed noise, slouching in her seat. “I dunno. I stopped watching ever since we watched it together. Other people talk a lot about it, though, and I hear its on its final legs. It’s one of the longer games, because they were trying out new, extended motives.” She frowned, then looked up at Maki. “Why?”

“Heard some shitheads mention it.” Maki mumbled, stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth to help cover her lie. “Wasn’t sure if you were still keeping tabs.” An uncomfortable silence settled over the area, and Maki cursed herself for making the air so fucking awkward. Fucking Danganronpa.

The door to the classroom clicked open, and a familiar trio strolled in. Maki narrowed her eyes, and she noticed Himiko go on alert. The three bullies smirked as they entered the room.

“Well hello there.” Daichi said. “Not surprised to see a pair of dykes like this on their lonesome. What do you think they’re doin’, Hidetaka?”

“Looks like they’re on a date, Daichi.” Hidetaka replied. The third person, Mai, remained silent while she played with her phone, though she had a bemused look on her face.

“...” Himiko looked between the three before hunkering down at her desk. “Go away, you guys. We’re just trying to eat lunch.”

“This looks like a little more than ‘eating lunch’.” Daichi said, glancing over his shoulder. “Ain’t that right, Mai?”

“Mmm hmm...” Mai hummed, handing him her phone. “A lot more than lunch.” Maki felt her stomach tighten up as Daichi approached.

“So this is just you guys eating lunch, huh?” He showed them the screen, and Maki felt like she was going to throw up. It was a hastily taken picture, one that was slightly blurry and partially obscured. But the sight of Himiko feeding Maki some food was unmistakable. Maki’s mind panicked. No. No no no. No, this couldn’t be happening. If this got out, she and Himiko… _Himiko_ would definitely get hurt. No, that wasn’t something she could allow. Daichi kept talking. “Because this doesn’t look like something friends just do for each other. I think-”

He suddenly yelped, and there was a clatter as Mai’s phone fell to the ground, alongside a quiet ‘clink’ as the glass screen cracked. Himiko and Mai gasped, and Hidetaka took a step back. Maki was standing up, fists clenched, after having punched Daichi in the wrist. Her posture was tense, wound up and ready to spring forward. A silence settled over the room, allowing Maki to reflect on what she’d just done. It was a little too late for remorse though, as Maki felt a fist drive itself into her cheek, sending her toppling over her chair and to the ground.

Himiko screamed. That was really the only sound that registered in Maki’s brain. Himiko screamed. It was just one. But she did. Himiko screamed. She screamed, and the person that made her scream was the one that just drove another fist into Maki’s face. Himiko’s scream echoed in Maki’s head as somebody hauled Daichi off of Maki.

Maki staggered to her feet, finding Mai and Himiko gone. There was just Daichi yelling at Hidetaka and the sun reflecting off of the door’s little window. Maki glanced to the side, her face on fire, and saw the phone on the ground, ignored now that it was out of sight. Maki looked at it for a second, then turned back to Daichi.

She slugged him in the face.

* * *

 

“Suspended. Suspended. I can’t fucking believe you.” Maki’s mother said, her grip on her daughter’s arm _tight_. She seemed to be channeling her rage through her hand, forcing it into Maki’s body through sheer grip strength. Maki didn’t say anything as she was dragged out of the school’s front door. There wasn’t a lot she could say to make this better. “I thought you had gotten sick or something happened but no. Suspended. Un-fucking-believable, Maki.”

Maki continued to stay silent as the two made their way out into the parking lot, her mother releasing Maki from her death grip to dig for her keys in her purse. The thought that she could just bolt right here and now entered Maki’s head. It wouldn’t be hard. She could outrun her mother on a bad day. And despite the throbbing in her face from a forming black eye and a multitude of surfacing bruises, Maki knew that it would be easy to get away. But did she want to?

No, not really. Because running away now meant she had nowhere to go. Maki kind of liked having a roof over her head, even if she was forced to stay under that roof and had no privacy. Oh, and if the person who owned the roof was a step above fucking hating her.

“Are you listening to me?” Her mother snapped, honking the car horn. Maki frowned as she climbed into the passenger seat and clipped on her seat belt. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but I bet it has something to do with that Himiko.” Maki snapped to attention. “You’re always hanging out with her, and it’s only made you more and more of a problem. ‘Can I go here and do this?’, ‘can she come here and do that?’” Her mother said mockingly before sighing in irritation.

“So what.” Maki deadpanned. “Isn’t it good that I’m getting out of the house?”

“Not when you’re causing trouble like this.” Her mother replied, pulling out of the parking lot. “I’ve got half a mind to forbid you from seeing her.”

“You can’t do that.” Maki growled, that familiar, angry heat bubbling up inside her again.

“You’re in no position to be ordering me around, young lady.” Her mom snapped, glaring at the rear view mirror. “We’re not in a good position, moneywise, right now, and you’re making me leave work early to pick your sorry ass up because you’re getting into stupid fights at school for no reason. So, what do you have to say for yourself, huh?”

“Maybe I should make some fucking money so you’ll leave me the hell alone for once.” Maki muttered darkly, turning to stare out the window.

“Watch your mouth.” Her mother replied.

Maki’s heart beat angrily in her chest. Maybe she should make some money.

* * *

 

“...I miss you.” Maki’s phone said, voice quiet. The only other sound in the house was the humming of the fridge upstairs. Maki sat on her bed, starchy sheets crackling underneath her. According to the digital alarm clock on her shitty desk, it was 3:12 in the morning. She’d fished out a desk lamp from her closet and set it on the floor. It barely illuminated the room, casting a pale, flickering yellow glow over the room. It was enough light.

“I miss you too, Himiko.” Maki muttered into the phone. She had it clasped between her shoulder and head. The pencil in her hand scratched against the crumpled paper she wrote on.

“It’s… lonely without you here.” Himiko said. Maki frowned at herself. It had been a week since her suspension started, and she still had a couple weeks to go.

“Sorry.” She apologized. “I got us into this shit.”

“No it’s… it’s not your fault.” Himiko insisted through the phone. Things got quiet, and Maki heard a yawn come from the other end.

“You should go to bed.” Maki said. “You keep staying up late to talk to me. It’s not hurting me, but you have to get up early.”

“But...” Himiko trailed off. “I don’t want to. I want to stay up, and talk with you. I don’t get to see you anymore. I… I really miss you.” She sounded upset. Maki cursed herself.

“...Right. I’m sorry, you’re right.” She shook her head, erasing something on her paper.

“It’s okay...” Himiko said, yawning again afterwards. There was the sound of shuffling on the other end of the line, and then: “How’s the job search going?”

“Working on an app right now.” Maki said.

“What about the other ones you’ve submitted? Interviews?”

“No.” Maki snorted. “Nobody wants to hire a teenage shithead like me who likes girls, gets into fights, and got suspended because she’s an idiot.”

“...don’t say that about yourself.” Himiko whispered into the phone.

“Only speaking the truth.” Maki replied, making Himiko go quiet. It settled oppressively over Maki, and she thought she heard a sniffle over the line. Shit. “...Sorry, I didn’t mean it. I’m… just upset.” She said. Himiko let out a sleepy ‘mmhmm’. Maki glanced at the time. 3:19. She continued to fill our her application, glancing periodically at the clock. Around 3:30, she heard a quiet snoring on the other end of the line. Despite herself, Maki cracked a half smile and hung up the phone. Himiko would be mad that she fell asleep, but Maki knew it was for the best.

Maki moved to the final check box on the paper. _‘I am currently enrolled in high school and give consent to Team Danganronpa to use me for entertainment purposes with no legal ramifications.’_ Check.

* * *

 

Maki ran her hands through her hair. Some of the teeth on her comb broke a couple days ago, so pulling the knots out of her hair with her fingers was the best she could do. Turmoil bubbled in her stomach as she adjusted the arm of the nicest jacket she owned. In one of the inner pockets lay her application, which she would finally drop off today. Luckily, there was an office in their city. Otherwise, she’d have to mail it, and no way was she letting her mom know about any of this shit until it was too late.

She wanted her to make money? To stop being a dead beat high school senior? Fine. Maki would get a job. She’d earn fifty million yen. That would be money, wouldn’t it? Somehow, Maki doubted her mother would be satisfied, even with that.

Maki stepped out of her front door. The sun was still high in the air, though it was starting its path back down the sky. The air was warm and humid, though not as warm as it had been. But that was fine. She was wearing her best clothes, which consisted of a black pair of jeans, a black jacket, and a maroon blouse. Maki sighed and started her walk into town.

She arrived at the Danganronpa Office ten minutes before the place closed. Maki swore to herself as she shoved the front door open, her hair practically standing on end due to the humidity. The lady at the front gave a start when she saw her. There were a few chairs scattered around, a fake plant in the corner, a coffee table with some magazines on it, and a big set of double doors in the back of the room.

“Ma’am, I apologize, but we’re about to-”

“I have an application.” Maki panted, stuffing her hand into her pocket. She pulled out both the application, smoothed out as well as she could, and the envelope. Maki tromped up to the desk the lady was at and slapped the application onto the desk. “Here.”

“Oh!” The lady seemed surprised at the application “Excuse me for a moment.” She turned away and picked up her phone, tapping a few keys. Maki stared. “Hello? Yes, this is Eiko. No, I’m calling because an applicant just came in. No, it was one of the letter applicants.” There was a surprised shout from the other end of the line. Maki frowned. Eiko nodded. “Mmhmm. Okay. Thanks, I’ll tell her.” She hung up the phone and smiled at Maki. It felt dangerous.

“You got lucky, young lady. A couple of our interviewers are still here, and they’re excited to get a paper applicant. We didn’t think there were any in this city. Anyway, your interview room is all the way in the back. Just walk down the hallway, its the door at the end.” Eiko pressed something behind the desk, and the door at the back of the room buzzed before making a snapping sound. It unlocked. Eiko cocked her head and laughed. “Maybe you’re the next Ultimate Lucky Student, huh?”

“Maybe.” Maki said, feeling a bit of bile rise in the back of her throat. This was starting to feel like a bad idea again. Well… it had always felt like a bad idea, even with her ‘in the heat of the moment’ times, but… what other options did she have? She couldn’t try to go back to normal, there was no way to go back to normal, not if what Himiko had been telling her about school was true. Himiko…

Maki finally stepped forward, pushing her way through the big double doors. The hallway was stark white, like a creepy hospital, and she swallowed the acid in her throat. Sheesh. True to the lady’s word, the interview room at the end of the hall had people in it, three to be exact, chattering to each other pleasantly. Maki pushed the door open, causing all conversation in the room to stop as they looked at her. Two of the people seemed like… pretty run of the mill interviewers, but the third caught Maki’s eye in particular. She seemed… overly happy. Super excited. Her blue hair flowed easily over her shoulders, and her entire body seemed to vibrate with excitement when Maki entered the room. The three interviewers sat at a table, and there was a camera angled down at her. Apparently they wanted her to stand.

“Maki Harukawa?” One of the other interviewers asked. Maki nodded passively. “Excellent, great to meet you!” He smiled and motioned at where he wanted her. She glanced over, spotting a small ‘X’ in tape, and shuffled over to it. Maki looked up into the camera. A tiny red light blinked at her.

“Ooh, may I pose the first question?!” The blue haired interviewer asked, excitedly bouncing in her seat. The other two nodded at her, and she squealed excitedly and turned to Maki. “So, Maki! Here’s a simple, yet informative question! Why do you want to be on Danganronpa?”

“Because I want to win.” Maki said without hesitation. No going back now. The two regular interviewers raised their brows, while the blue haired one cocked her head. Maki squared her shoulders. “But I’m going to do it like no Danganronpa participant has done before. I’m going to win without killing anybody.” _That_ got their attention. “Because murder isn’t the only answer. I’m not going to kill anybody, but I’m going to win.”

“...but,” One of the regular interviewers began, “You know that to ‘win’ Danganronpa, you have to get away with murder, right?”

“Which is exactly why I’m going to win without it.” Maki said confidently. “Give me any talent, any backstory, any skillset. I’ll win with it, and I’ll win without killing anybody. That’s a promise.”

“But what’s your motivation here?” The other plain interviewer said, motioning limply with their hand. “There’s got to be a reason you want to win Danganronpa.”

“Because...” Maki faltered. “Because I want to protect somebody. And… winning Danganronpa is the only way I’ll ever be able to do that.” The room fell silent for a few seconds as her words sank in for everybody, including her. Maki felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of her neck. Then the blue haired interviewer laughed.

“Amazing! Beautiful! I love it! A fresh point of view!” She excitedly turned to the other interviewers, who looked confused. “Come on guys, just think about it! All of the other interviews have been so similar. ‘Blah blah blah, I love killing and I want to get away with it because I love Danganronpa.’” She mimed a mouth with her hand, then stuck out her tongue. “Bleh. We’ve heard it before. This is new stuff! Exactly what we’d expect from a scouted applicant!”

“...true.” One of the other interviewers said. “It would be interesting to leave that determination in and see where it takes her. Maybe not as the protagonist, but… as a strong side character…” Something about that comment struck a wrong chord in Maki, but she couldn’t explain why.

“Exactly!” The blue haired interviewer beamed, then turned back to Maki. “Okay, next question! If you had to choose your ‘Ultimate’ talent, what would you choose and why?”

“Mmm...” Maki shrugged. “On the sheet, I wrote ‘Caretaker’, but… any sort of… helpful talent like that. And… that’s because...” She glanced down at her healed over knuckles. “Because...”

* * *

 

Maki got back to her house after the sun had set. A chill had settled into the air, but it was nowhere near as oppressive as the heat from earlier, so Maki could ignore it. If her mother hadn’t lied to her, then the house should be empty, and she could go to sleep without trouble. She pushed open the front door (neither her nor her mom ever bothered to lock it. It was a wonder nothing had ever been stolen), and found herself face to face with a certain redhead digging through her fridge.

“...Himiko?” Maki asked.

“Oh!” Himiko jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the glass of juice in her hand. Her face lit up when she saw who it was, and she hastily deposited the glass onto the counter so she could run over and wrap her arms around Maki in a rib-crushing hug. “Maki Maki! I missed you!”

“Uh, hey.” Maki said arms still frozen in shock. “Himiko, I… I’m glad to see you too, but… what are you doing here? How did you get in?”

“Hmph.” Himiko huffed, looking up to glare at Maki. “I know you guys never lock the front door. Do you know how dangerous that is?” She turned her head back down, stuffing her face into Maki’s shirt. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Of course I am.” Maki replied instantly, arms recovering enough to return the hug. “But… why? How?”

“My parents went on another trip.” Himiko murmured quietly. Maki felt the warmth of Himiko’s breath soak into her shirt. “And I’ve been alone, and I couldn’t stand not seeing you anymore.” It was then that Maki noticed her shoulders beginning to tremble. Maki frowned.

“Let’s go downstairs.” She said. Himiko nodded, separating from Maki so that the two could get down the stairs. Himiko clung to Maki’s arm as they walked, and Maki made sure to move slowly so that neither of them would trip.

A strange, pleased warmth settled into Maki’s stomach at the feeling of Himiko holding her. It made her realize how touch starved she had been, especially considering there was only one person who could make that feeling go away. And now she was here. Himiko was here, and she was with her. The person who, undoubtedly, cared for her most.

And suddenly, the warmth in Maki’s gut turned ice cold, stabbing her nerves with panicked signals. ‘You know what you just did’ her brain screamed at her. Yes, she did just do that. Himiko cared about her, and she cared about Himiko. Too much, maybe. That, Maki resolved, is why she couldn’t tell Himiko about Danganronpa. Because that would mean Maki was the biggest hypocrite in the world, and a traitor, and Maki didn’t want to think about how hurt Himiko would be if she knew Maki betrayed her trust like this. Even though Maki did this for Himiko, so that they could… not deal with this shit anymore, she knew Himiko wouldn’t approve. Who would approve of somebody they… liked going off to get themselves killed? Nobody, that’s who.

The two collapsed onto the couch, not even making it to the bed. Himiko laid on top of Maki, her eyes watering as she wrapped her arms around Maki and stuffing her face into the crook of Maki’s neck. Maki felt a bit of dampness settle onto her skin where Himiko’s face was, and felt her chest clench up.

“Himiko.” Maki murmured, threading one of her hands into Himiko’s hair. “Himiko.” It had been a while, and felt longer, since they’d seen each other in person after seeing each other every day. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Maki Maki...” Himiko hiccuped. “I missed you so much. I missed you.” They stayed like that for a while, Maki holding Himiko and letting her cry.

“Himiko...” Maki muttered, using her free hand to squeeze Himiko’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

“E-Everybody at school...” Himiko sniffled, refusing to look up. “They’re talking… they’re talking so b-badly about you. They call you awful things...” Her grip on Maki grew tighter, and she could feel Himiko’s nails digging into her back through her shirt and jacket. “I tried to stand up f-for you… but they just… they just started… started spreading the picture around… And… and they’re calling us… terrible things. L-Like… like d… dy...” Himiko drew in a quick breath, and Maki tried to pull her closer.

“Don’t. You don’t have to say it.” Maki said, feeling her body heat up in anger. “I’m sorry. I should be there to help you and I’m not. You shouldn’t have to be fucking… doing this on your own. I’m… fuck, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Himiko muttered into Maki’s neck.

“No, it is.” She hissed, mainly at herself. “I did something fucking stupid, and got you hurt because of it. You’re the last person I wanted to hurt, and now you’re in deep shit because of me, and I can’t even _try_ to protect you from it.” Maki wanted to hit something. She wanted to ball up her fist and slam it into something solid until her knuckles broke and her skin split. She wanted to whoever hurt Himiko to suffer for doing something like what was happening to somebody who didn’t deserve it. Including herself. Maybe that’s what this was. Penance.

“No. No.” Himiko repeated as Maki talked, finally looking up at her. “No no no. I keep saying its not your fault, and I’m right. It’s… not your fault.” Maki stared her in the eyes and finally noticed the black bags underneath them.

“You’re not getting enough sleep.” Maki stated, moving her hand to cup Himiko’s cheek.

“No, I...” She looked away from Maki, clearly lying. “I’m just… tired today.”

“Himiko.” Maki said, frowning.

“Please don’t worry about me.” Himiko muttered, looking so _fucking_ upset that Maki just wanted to tear her own hair out. Who the hell could… who could fucking do this to somebody like Himiko? “I’m so worried about _you_ , about what’s going to happen when you come back. I’m...” A tear slipped from Himiko’s eye and flowed down her cheek, soaking into Maki’s thumb. Another followed, and then one on the other side. And then more. “I’m afraid… they’re going to hurt you.”

“...hn.” Maki let out an angry puff of air through her nose, moving to pull Himiko’s head to her chest. “I’ll be fine. I don’t care what happens to me, because I’ll be fine. I’m worried about you.” Maki took a deep breath to steady herself. “Let them say whatever they want. It doesn’t mean shit. I’ll be fine, just don’t...don’t put yourself into any danger.” She swallowed thickly, her own throat threatening to close up on her. “I… I can fix things for us. I’m gonna fix all of this.”

“...h-huh?” Himiko looked up at her, confused. “How?”

“Don’t worry about that.” Maki said, evening out her voice as best she could. “Just… like I said, take care of yourself. I’ve got a plan to fix this. Trust me.”

“Maki.” Himiko said, concern in her voice growing. “What’s… what’s going on?”

“Look.” Maki swallowed again, this one more difficult. “I’m… pretty sure I got a job, okay? I’m gonna make us a lot of money, and… and then you and I won’t have to worry about any bullshit anymore, okay? No more jerks from school bothering us, no more people calling us… _names_ for liking each other, no more not seeing each other. We’ll be okay, just you and me.”

“...” Himiko was silent for a few moments. “...do you really think it’ll work out?”

“Positive.” Maki replied. “Because… because they really liked what I had to say and… and I think it’s almost certain.”

“Good...” Himiko nodded. “Because I… while I was alone, I tried to do something too.” That drew Maki’s attention. “I’m… I want to try something, because I thought it would help us out. I thought I could be useful and do something that would make sure you would be okay. I… I don’t want you to only be protecting me. I want to protect you too.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I… I’m gonna apply to a program.” Himiko said quietly. “I want to earn some money too, so… so I can help. I hope I get in.”

“...” Maki was quiet, then pulled Himiko close again. “I hope you do too.”

* * *

 

Maki squared her shoulders. Well then… this was it. No turning back. She glanced down to make sure everything was in order. She had on her school uniform, a black skirt accompanied by a navy blazer and similarly colored tie, and had a printed out email as proof that she was who she said she was. That was all they’d told her to bring, and… well, she hadn’t had much else that needed bringing.

With her resolve steeled, Maki pushed her way into the Danganronpa Office. Once again, Eiko was up front, reading some papers and writing something. She passively glanced up, and her face lit up when she saw who it was.

“Maki! Come in, come in!” Eiko greeted. Maki shuffled over to the front desk. “I’m so glad you’re here, congrats on getting accepted into Danganronpa! Not everybody gets such a prestigious opportunity, y’know?” At Eiko’s words, Maki wanted to throw up. How ‘prestigious’. “Do you have the acceptance email?”

“Yeah.” Maki held it up.

“Excellent, I’ll let them know then.” Eiko smiled, then reached over and picked up her phone. She put it to her ear and tapped her fingernails on the desk for a few seconds before the call went through. “Hello? Yes, this is Eiko. Maki Harukawa is ready for pickup… Okay, thanks. Hmm? No, there were only two from this location.” Maki cocked her brow. What? “Yes, that’s all. Thank you.” She then hung up the phone and shot another overly-cheery smile at Maki. “There we go. Your ride is on the way.”

“...you said there was somebody else?” Maki asked.

“Oh, yes.” Eiko nodded. “You just missed them, actually. If you’d come in a little earlier, then you could have ridden with them!” She laughed. “Though, maybe it’s best not to let the competition scope you out too early, you know? Ha!” Eiko snickered at her own joke. Maki’s stomach did a flip. “Anyway, you’ll be seeing them soon enough. Now then, let’s get you briefed.”

“Alright.” Maki said. She was really doing this.

“Okay, so to start things off, a disclaimer.” Eiko cleared her throat. “Team Danganronpa wants to remind you that you have accepted the terms and conditions. This means that you waive Team Danganronpa of any responsibility for any potential harm that may befall you, be it both before and during participation in Danganronpa V3.These potential dangers, which you and your loved ones have agreed to not pursue legal action on, include but are not limited to: brain damage during the memory wiping sequence, death during the ‘Killing School Semester’, ‘Execution’ as per Danganronpa standard...”

Maki tuned her out. Because none of that mattered. She was stronger than that. Stronger than Team Danganronpa and anything they had to offer. She’d win, win without killing. And then?… and then she and Himiko would be okay. And nobody would be able to hurt them anymore. Nobody would hurt Himiko ever again. She’d make sure of that.

* * *

 

Maki Harukawa woke up in darkness. She tried to move her arms, only for them to bump into something at her sides. And her front. And her back. The darkness surrounded her and it… was metallic. It clanged as Maki bumped her hands into it. The darkness was made of metal. She could hear the sound of snoring. Maki frowned, putting her hands on the darkness in front of her and leaning against it.

Maki fell out of the locker, landing on the floor of a dingy classroom with a loud thump. The snoring stopped, replaced by a sleepy, startled yelp. Maki looked up, and found somebody staring down at her from a desk. The boy sitting there was staring at her in surprise. He had purple hair and a similarly colored goatee. His eyes were wide, and he blinked a few times before scrambling out of his desk to help her up.

“Yo, you alright?” He asked.

“...yeah, I’m fine.” Maki said, brushing herself off.

“...what the hell is this place?” The boy said, his eyes roaming the room. “Wherever we are… this place looks fucked up.”

“Yeah.” Maki deadpanned, glancing around as well. The classroom was draped with vines, and the windows were covered in vicious looking red barbed wire. Things looked rusty, and the air was filled with dust. It looked like the place hadn’t seen any use for… for a long time.

“Damn, you don’t sound scared at all.” The boy laughed nervously, turning to her. “Good on ya. I mean, I’m not scared either, but it’s good to see neither of us are panicking or anything. That’d just make shit hard.” He held a hand out. “Name’s Kaito Momota. We should work together to try and figure this shit out.”

“...whatever.” Maki gave his hand a curt shake. “Maki Harukawa.”

“Well then, Maki, guess we better find out what the hell’s going on here.” Kaito’s smile dropped off his face, and he put his hands on his hips, giving the classroom another look over. Maki glanced around as well, but didn’t move. After a minute or two, Kaito seemed to realize there wasn’t anything in here and moved towards the exit. Maki glanced back at the locker before following.

Kaito shoved the classroom door open, looking around the area. Maki plodded behind him. More vines, more overgrowth. The place was definitely a school, it felt like one, though it seemed far more extensive than your average high school. Maki glanced up. The ceilings were definitely taller than her old high school. Her old high school… Maki winced, her hand going to her head. Something fought against her brain, almost like it was experiencing something it shouldn’t be. A name and a color flashed into her head as they walked, bringing a flash of pain with them. ‘Himiko’. Red. What the hell?

“Hey,” Kaito glanced back, frowning. “You alright?”

“I just...” Maki grunted, squeezing her temple. Kaito stopped, turning around in concern. “I just remembered something.”

“Shit, really?” Kaito raised his brow. “What was it?”

“Nothing that could help us.” She replied, straightening her back. Her head pounded, though the pain slowly started to ebb away. “Just… a name. And a color.”

“...huh?” Kaito crossed his arms. “Well… I don’t know about the color, but maybe the name is important?” He drummed his fingers on his forearm in thought. “I don’t remember anything other than… being kidnapped. Well hey, lemme know what the name is. Maybe it’ll ring a bell?”

“Okay...” Maki said, shaking her head. “...it was Himiko. Her name was Himiko.” Himiko... Maki remembered the name. She also remembered being kidnapped… did she? She remembered… getting into a car. She remembered getting into a car. She remembered…

‘ _Maki Maki!’ a voice cried out, grabbing her hand. There was a warmth, and when Maki looked down, her hand was held in a delicate grip. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?’. The voice said, and when Maki looked at it, she saw a pleasant red, and her heart swelled in affection._

“Gh!” Maki recoiled, taking a step back and grunting.

“Woah, hey!” Kaito reached out, grabbing her shoulder to steady her. “Damn, you alright?” He looked her over in concern. “Don’t… hey, don’t do anything to stress yourself out, alright? Might be better not to know if it’s gonna hurt you. We can figure out what it is when we get out of here.”

“...” Maki looked up at him and felt her heart beat in her chest. Something about Kaito… brought a warmth to her chest, even as she looked at him closely for the first time. And yet… and yet, something about it didn’t seem right, and Maki couldn’t place why aside from the out of nowhere thought that he wasn’t _red_ , but that didn’t make any sense. So she took a deep breath and said, “Alright. Yeah.”

They continued walking down the hall, found a set of stairs to go down, and kept walking. Where the hell were they supposed to be going? Maki frowned, glancing down at the moss covered floor. Her head throbbed with memories she couldn’t focus on, and she tried not to dwell on them too long. Still… she felt like… she wanted to remember. Something in her _wanted_ to remember. As they walked, Maki noticed a quiet hum in the air. It was… strange. Robotic, almost. She frowned, raising her head as it grew louder.

“...do you hear that?” She asked, stopping.

“Hear what?” Kaito turned to her, glancing around. They were quiet for a few moments and, without their footsteps filling the silence, the sound became more noticeable. “Hey, you’re right. What _is_ that?”

As soon as Kaito asked that, the hum grew into a rumble, and then a roar, like an engine was revving in their ears. And that’s when a hulking machine turned the corner, twin chainguns pointed at the two of them. It was… like something out of a mecha anime, with sleek metal and green decals. The machine turned to face them, and it revved. A multitude of spots on the front of the machine sprung on, painting the two in a dangerous red light.

“DO-NOT-BE-AFRAID.” The machine bellowed at them, taking a step forward. Maki took a step back. “WE-ARE-HERE-TO-TAKE-CARE-OF-YOU.”

“R-Run!” Kaito yelled, turning heel. He grabbed Maki’s wrist and bolted, yanking her with him. She stumbled after him, though quickly regained her balance and sprinted alongside him, ignoring the machine’s cry of ‘DO-NOT-RUN.’.

Their feet slammed against the ground as they ran, adrenaline pumping through Maki’s veins. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t normal. This shouldn’t be happening. Why was she even here? Nothing made sense as the two booked it down the hallway, the sound of revving machinery omnipresent in their ears. The reason why became apparent when the turned another corner and found a similar hulking mech, this one streaked with pink, that blasted ‘We just want to help you!’ at them before they dashed down another hallway.

Maki had no idea how many halls they ran down, weaving through the school walkways looking for an escape from these machines. She was far from unfit, but the constant sprint was beginning to take its toll. Her breath heaved with each stride, and it was apparent that Kaito’s energy was faltering too. The pair turned one corner, only to find the fifth machine they’d seen during their escape. This final one made the two of them skid to a stop, blocking the path they had been planning on taking.

“Hey, look!” The red mech yelled at them, “I forgot why we’re doing this too, but don’t run!” Kaito began moving, but Maki found herself staring at that color. Red. Red. _Himiko_.

‘ _Hey, don’t run!’ a voice laughed, trailing after Maki. ‘You know you’re faster than me! I’m gonna get tired if you don’t slow down!’ Maki didn’t know why they were running, but they were having fun. She felt herself slow down, just enough for the voice to laugh again and wrap its arms around her._

Kaito screamed something she couldn’t hear, grabbing her wrist and yanking. The movement shook her from her stupor, and Maki stumbled, unable to keep her balance. Kaito had to wrench her to her feet in order to keep running. Because of her hesitation, they had to turn down an unintended path. The pair stopped when they realized-

“It’s a dead fucking end!” Kaito yelled. “Dammit!” He glanced behind them, while Maki looked up. They were at the end of a hallway, with two sets of lockers on either side. There were also a pair of double doors, that were almost completely obscured by overgrowth. Underneath the foliage, Maki noticed a small sign that read ‘Gym’. She grabbed Kaito’s wrist and surged forward, throwing the doors open with her free hand.

In the gym stood eight other kids, all looking equally terrified at the sudden intrusion. One girl, tall and pale, with light green hair, screamed as they came in and cowered behind her arms. One of the boys there, huge and muscular, with a pair of glasses and messy brown hair, turned to run until he realized what exactly had intruded into the gym.

“Hey,” He said in confusion. “You’re not one of those monsters.”

“Yeah, no shit.” Kaito stuck his head back out into the hallway before slamming the gym doors shut. “Fuckin’ hell, what are those things?”

“No idea,” one of the other boys said, shorter than anybody else in the room. “But they’ve been chasing us through the hallways. We’ve been hiding out in here for the past… ten, fifteen minutes. Seems to be relatively safe in here.”

“Great.” Maki said with a sigh of exhaustion, shaking her head. “Where the hell are we?”

“Dunno.” One of the girls said, planting her hands on her hips. She had long blonde hair and a sneer painted onto her face. “We might fuckin’ die here though.”

“D-Don’t say that, please...” The girl who screamed earlier said.

Maki looked over the crowd. A bunch of unfamiliar, terrified faces. They all had to have been brought here, to this… school, but for what purpose? What did any of them have in common? Was there any rhyme or reason to this? Kaito moved over to the group, beginning to chat in concern, pointing at the gym doors, while the short boy shook his head.

A couple figures caught Maki’s attention. She got a sense of deja vu while looking at them, but that couldn’t be right. The first was a nervous looking girl with blue hair, who stood to the side of the group in the middle, nervously twiddling her fingers. Somehow… Maki was positive she’d seen her before, though she couldn’t place where. The other was a boy with green hair, who stood next to Kaito and motioned at the gym doors. His hair flopped into his eyes, and he brushed it away before continuing.

Suddenly… Maki felt somebody staring at her. She glanced to the side… and her body froze up. A pair of startled brown eyes stared back at her. That wasn’t what caught her attention, though. It was the bright red hair, illuminated perfectly in the sunlight coming from the gym windows. They stared at each other, frozen for a few moments, before a rush of memories hit Maki like a truck. There were still blanks, that didn’t seem to be changing anytime soon, but there was a _surge_ of memory.

Maki felt herself tackled to the floor, a sobbing Himiko in her arms. Himiko wrapped her arms around Maki’s neck and wailed, tears streaming down her face. Maki felt her own vision blur with tears as she pulled Himiko close, pushing the other girl’s face into the crook of her neck. Himiko cried, body shaking, and the two laid there amongst the others, who stared at them in astonishment. Maki tuned them out as she held Himiko close and cried.

“Maki… Maki...” Himiko sobbed. “I’m so scared...”

“Me too...” Maki murmured. A warmth filled her chest, similar to the one from earlier, with Kaito, but this one… this one felt _right_. Something about holding Himiko like this felt so right, so right that she never wanted to let go ever again. “What the hell are you doing here?” She whispered harshly.

“I… I don’t know!” Himiko wailed, grabbing at Maki’s hair and shirt like her life depended on it. “I can’t remember anything… I couldn’t remember anything until I saw you…”

“I...” Maki began, but found herself blanking. Memories were bleeding through the cracks, things like talking on the phone late at night, sitting in a leaky basement while it rained, and walking somewhere holding hands. And yet… she couldn’t remember _where_ these memories took place, or _why_. All she remembered was that Himiko was there, and there was such a strong feeling in her chest when she remembered them that she didn’t want to lose ever again.

“D-don’t let g-go of me...” Himiko said, hiccuping.

“I won’t. Never again, I won’t.” Maki promised. “I’ll never lose you again.”

“I hate to break this up.” Kaito interjected. “But… you guys know each other?” Maki finally looked up, tears staining her cheeks. The others were looking at them, clearly confused, and a new pair of people were present. There was… a certain look in some of their eyes that Maki didn’t like.

“Yeah.” Maki said, moving to sit up, finally. Himiko continued to cling to her, letting out a few sad hiccups. She glanced up at Maki, hands tangled in her shirt. Maki looked back down at her, then looked up and glared. She wouldn’t be scared anymore. Something in the back of her brain told her that was a weird thought (anymore?), but she didn’t question her feelings. “This… Himiko is my girlfriend.”

“I see.” One of the newcomers, a boy with a black medical mask covering his face, chimed in. “Well… would either of you happen to know anything about our situation?”

“Of course not.” Maki snapped. “We don’t even know where we are, much less why.”

“Just checking.” He said, holding his hands up defensively.

Maki glared at the others, daring them to do something, but most of them moved to back off, returning to their conversation in the middle of the gym. Only two figures continued to look, and Maki wasn’t surprised to see two familiar faces. The blue haired girl looked concerned, but not in a way that felt… comforting. It was like she was concerned for a different reason. For the briefest of moments, a scowl marred her face before disappearing. The green haired boy looked at them curiously, almost like something was on the tip of his tongue. Then he shrugged and turned away. Suspicious.

“M-Maki...” Himiko murmured.

“Yeah? What?” Maki asked. Himiko looked up with her.

“Thank you.”

“...huh?” Maki asked. “For what?”

“For calling me your girlfriend.” She smiled. “I… I don’t remember you ever saying that.”

“O-Oh. Well...” Maki blushed, frowning. “Well… I’m sure I did it before because… I don’t remember either. But...”

“You don’t gotta say anything else.” Himiko said, leaning against Maki. “I’m just… glad we’re together again.”

“Mmhmm.” Maki replied, starting to move to her feet. She helped Himiko up as well, and the two of them stared at each other for a few seconds. Another pair of students entered the room, but Maki paid them no mind. Himiko grabbed her hand and held tight, and Maki nodded back. “I won’t let you go again.”

At that moment, another pair burst into the room. Maki turned to look at them. One was a boy, dark hair and dark clothes, with a black cap on his head covering up his eyes. The other was a blonde girl, who glanced around the room in a panic.

“Think that makes sixteen.” The boy with green hair said. The group devolved into more discussion, which didn’t last long. A bunch of robotic voices rang out, and everybody began looking around. Maki held Himiko close, and she wrapped her arms around Maki’s as the monsters from before dropped from the ceiling. The gym was quickly filled with an uproar, which was solved by the monsters opening up, releasing five… stuffed bears.

“Shut yer yaps!” The blue bear screamed, raising its little guitar over its head threateningly.

“Wh-Who are you guys?!” The most recent blonde girl asked, looking between them.

“Oi, forget that.” The yellow bear said, adjusting its glasses. “We wanted to gauge some things about youse, but… well, we heard there was some unexpected troubles.” It glanced over the rims of its glasses at Maki and Himiko. Maki scowled at it.

“I don’t remember what troubles that we need to solve, but by god we’re gonna solve them!” The red bear said confidently, pulling out a shitty looking throwing star. “So lets get to solving them! I’ll go first!” It jumped up, much to the bewilderment of everybody else in the room, back onto its mech and began digging around in the cockpit. “Let’s start with some fun outfits, huh? I like these. I forgot why I have them though!”

“Because we asked you to carry them!” The pink bear said, waving its arms around. “But that’s actually a great idea, Monotaro!”

“Yes, I’m a paragon of good ideas!” ‘Monotaro’ claimed.

“How long until somebody tells him he don’t have the outfits?” The yellow bear sighed, shaking its head. “Monodam?”

“...” The green bear looked over the students before also jumping into its mech. It reached into the cockpit and then flung out something that was in it. Maki caught sight of… clothing? Outfits? Suddenly, the room filled with a blinding light, and Maki had to cover her eyes with her free arm. When her vision cleared, she was wearing… something. A maroon sailor uniform, with a black skirt and a bow way bigger than she would have ever chosen to wear on her own. She glanced over at Himiko, who seemed to be dressed up like… a magician? That’s what the pointy hat looked like.

“Yay, I did it!” Monotaro said, looking pleased with himself.

“Ya didn’t do anything, you dork!” The yellow bear yelled. “Plus, we’ve got bigger problems!”

“What, really?” Monotaro asked.

“The future looks bleak...” The blue bear said, looking almost like it was… sweating. “But the past looks bleaker! We gotta fix our garbage before it takes us ou-ou-out!!!”

“Oh, daddy’s going to be so mad if he finds out they know things they shouldn’t!” The pink bear said, once again glancing at Himiko and Maki. “It’s a good thing we can bump up the power of the Flashback Light.” It nodded in satisfaction. “Where is it?”

“I dunno!” Monotaro said.

“Idiot! _That’s_ what we told you to carry!” The yellow bear said. Maki watched the five of them (sans the green bear) engage in a childish, pointless argument. What… the hell was going on?

“I have a bad feeling about this...” Himiko muttered.

“Don’t worry.” Maki said to her, squeezing her hand. “No matter what happens… I’ll protect you. Nothing can ever change that.”

“Found it!” Monotaro said, happily pulling out what looked like a modified flashlight. “I forgot how to use it though… I think it’s… this one?” He pressed a button, and Maki’s world was filled with blinding light, and her head was filled with memories, so many that it pushed her old ones out. She stopped existing for a moment.

* * *

 

Maki Harukawa brushed some dirt from her shoulder. Stupid school. She was trapped here for now, but surely that couldn’t last. None of this seemed like anything that could last. At the moment, she was roaming the halls of this supposed ‘academy’, looking for a way out. When she had woken up, those five dumb stuffed bears had run through some pointless chatter about memories or something. She hadn’t cared enough to pay attention, and it had appeared the idiot that woke up in the same room as her seemed to have had some problems wrapping his thick skull around the situation. At the end of their spiel, they asked if Maki knew anybody or anything here. She, obviously, responded in the negative. Who the hell was here that she would know?

She put her hand to the wall and frowned. Everything seemed so damn run down, and yet the place seemed so structurally sound. There weren’t any structural insecurities that she could find. But surely _something_ must have been left here _somewhere_ that could give her any clue as to where she was or how to get out of here. Guess she’d just have to look harder.

“-oh, and I just LOVE your pointy little hat!” An excited voice wailed. Maki frowned and glanced to the side. A pair of figures were walking down the hallway, two girls. The source of the voice was tall, with loose braids and a big green pinwheel bow. She was excitedly cooing over the smaller girl.

The smaller girl in question had short red hair and soft brown eyes, alongside a stupid looking pointy hat. She looked like a dumb stage magician, and appeared frail and sleepy, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she walked. Maki frowned. Something about her… made Maki want to move closer. As she yawned, the girl stretched, and in doing so glanced over at Maki.

The two made eye contact, and it was like somebody had just shocked Maki. Her body reacted on its own, trying to take a step, but Maki held herself back. What the hell? The girl looked equally as shocked, seeming to wake up a little. They held eye contact, confusion seeping into Maki’s body as they did so.

And then she broke the eye contact, snorting and looking away. It was almost like… no, that was impossible. Maki would never associate with somebody like that, even involuntarily. She looked weak and helpless, nothing that would cause Maki to interact with her under normal circumstances. Unless she’d been tasked to kill her. But if that was the case, then this girl would be dead. Maki shook her head to dismiss her strange feelings, pushing the redheaded girl out of her mind.

She had better things to think about.


End file.
